Temper, Temper
by Teahazz
Summary: Zuko's temper flares and does something that he won't be able to take back. One shot Maiko.


It was an unusually hot summer even for the people of the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Zuko sat in his throne room with his royal advisors, there is a dispute between his advisors and Zuko could feel the throbbing in his head. His advisors were shouting back and forth, the heat in the room suddenly seemed unbearable, "ENOUGH!" Zuko yelled and flames in front of him grew lager. All the men in the room fell silent; "If you can't have a civil discussion then this meeting is over" Zuko got up and stormed out of the room.

Zuko made his way to his chambers flanked by his guards. As he walked the halls of the palace he felt like he was being suffocated by his robes, his head throbbed and he felt sweat dripping from his forehead. The palace seemed so crowded; there were people everywhere, all of them wanting something from him. He just wanted to be left alone, why they couldn't understand that. Zuko just wanted a few moments to collected himself, just some time alone. Zuko entered his chamber and sighed with relief when he realized he was alone. He wasn't alone for long because Mai soon entered the room with her ladies in waiting following her. At first Mai was annoyed that the ladies of the court had been assigned to her but as time went her she grew to somewhat tolerate them.

"Zuko your meeting is finished already?" she asked moving closer to him.

"No, I just need some time alone"

"what's wrong?"

"Nothing Mai, I just need a minute alone"

"come on, let's go for a walk, that will do you some good. Let's get outside" Mai said placing her hand on Zuko shoulder

"No, please Mai I would like some time alone"

"come on, let's go Fire Lord" Mai said as she pulled on Zuko's shoulder.

Zuko head began to throb again and the room became unbearably hot. He felt his body tempter raise and his body began to shake. "I SAID NO!" he yelled and he just saw red and he seemed like he blacked out and lost his head for a moment. When Zuko came too he looked around the room and saw shocked expression on the faces of Mai's ladies in waiting. What…what had happened? What had he done? He saw Mai on the ground; her head lowered what had he done? She looked at him and her check was bruised and blood trickled down the corner of her mouth. Unshed tears in her eyes. She slowly wiped the blood from the coner of her mouth got up and left the room. Zuko stood as if frozen to the ground, what had he done? He had struck her, Mai, his wife, he had hit her.

Savants ran after Mai, "My Lady should we summon a physician?" "My Lady what can we do?" "Lady Mai please let us help you" Mai ignored them all. She made her way to her personal chambers. Once she closed doors behind her she took a deep breathe, exhaled bracing her back against the door. Mai brought her hand up to her cheek, it was bruised and tender and she could still taste blood in her mouth. Mai had been injured many times in battle, even sparring with Zuko she had been injured and those times hurt but it was nothing a few bandages couldn't take care of. As Mai clutched her cheek she thought that this particular injury was one that would never heal.

Zuko stood in his room, hands visibly shaking, knuckles white and fear plastered all over his face. He felt like the ground had fallen from beneath his feet. What had he done? He hit her, she stuck Mai. He kept replaying the scene in his head, why would he do such a thing? How could he? Mai was just trying to help him. How could he have done that? He had to see her, he had to beg for her forgives. He had to let her know that he wasn't some kind of monster. Zuko made his way to Mai's personal chambers. Upon his arrival at her door he found her ladies in waiting planted outside of the room. They saw him and bowed as he walked closer, he could see the hatred and distained they now had for him in their eyes.

Zuko carefully opened the door to Mai's room, he looked around the room and found Mai sitting on a chair in the corner of the room and her eyes fixed on a book she held in her hands. Her hair was damp and slicked back like she had just taken a bath and her flawless porcelain face now bore a black and blue cheek. Zuko made his way over to her and fell to his knees at her feet. "Mai, please, I don't know what happened. Please Mai I'm so sorry and ashamed of what I did" Zuko pleaded

"**Do not** mistake my restraint and love for you as weakness My Lord" Mai's eyes shot up from her book and gave Zuko a stare that caused a cold shiver to run through his body. "Had it been anyone else they would have been dead before I hit the floor; restrain and composure Zuko, I suggest you work on it before you find yourself alone with your temper and nothing more". At that Mai got up and left. Her words were just as painful as if she had stabbed one of her daggers directly into his hear t but she was right and deserved it. Zuko knew that he would never be able to take back what he had done but he would spend the rest of his life if Mai would let him making up for what he did.

The End

**A/N I know I know Zuko would never hit Mai like that but he has such a temper and it's just something I thought of. Kind of OOC for both of them but meh it's just a story :P**


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